MICHAŁ KARNOWSKI, The author is a publicist of the weekly ‘wSieci’ and the portal wPolityce.pl

A known presenter on TV announces in Internet that ‘Poles have brought the tradition of a sandwich with egg in a train compartment to an airplane. Luckily they do not take off their shoes’. A known celebrity, a footballer’s wife, popped into the country only for a while, in order to earn in an entertainment program for Poles, but finds time to inform that she ‘does not like Poles’. A known radio journalist shares his reflection at the same time, that the attitude to the idea of putting a monument for Bolshevik prisoners is a test for ‘Polish centricity’. As he proves, we put monument to Polish soldiers, so, we also should do the same to those people. Differences between aggressors picking eyes of Polish priests and intelligent people with spoons, and defenders of homeland, were not noticed by him.

These are only three examples of despising by media people and stars of the Third Republic of Poland to citizens for whom they broadcast programs, but, surely, every Reader is able to enumerate lots of them. The common denominator is constant: embarrassment for Poles of today and yesterday. For those who, working hard, prefer to make sandwiches at home than pay 10 euro at the airport ( in my family home such an attitude raised respect) and for those who in 1920 stopped the Bolshevik march. Well, as we know, grandfathers of some current media famous people, built triumph gates for the Red Army at that time, so such an attitude is not surprising at all.

Even conscious minds can get lost. Here a known catholic publicist goes to the program of an elderly man, characterizing himself into a teenager, a specialist of vulgar provocations, and, once-snip he has a drink with him. He argues that in this way he wanted to evangelize. Possibly, possibly, intention is important, but on this occasion, one more barrier broke - a barrier of ostracism towards hyenas from decent people. What a pity.

All these scandalizing acts of media and cultural violence are aimed at making us tired, become indifferent to sensitivity, unlearn us protests, persuade us to think that nothing is obvious, that there are no borders. And what is the most important – it is normal. That a cabaret is based on mocking at the Catholics and without any limits. That journalism is an art of ‘transforming’ Poles, removing national and religious ‘superstitions’, not serving to the society with respect for its heritage. Finally, that being a Pole is the reason to be embarrassed, is humiliating, not a reason to be proud.

This savagery will pass away one day, we will read about it, like today we read descriptions of anti-catholic and anti-Polish ‘teachings’ of a Russian teacher in ‘Syzyfowe prace’ by Żeromski. However, for now, the machine of despising is working fully, for ours, Poles’, money. Will we be able to stop it? A good sign is the fact that the opposition is growing, especially that the workers of this industry are slowly losing their temper. However, a real breakthrough can be brought only by a political change. The significance of the approaching self-governing, parliamentary and presidential elections is difficult to overestimate. This is going to be a fight not only for the authority but also for issues which are basic for Poles’ existence.